There are minor scratches and yellowing, but I believe it is in relatively good condition. Please understand that this is a used book before purchasing. A grand historical examination undertaken as an attempt to reflect on the shortcomings of the Japanese people—the "lack of scientific spirit"—which "exposed a truly pathetic figure" due to the defeat in the Pacific War. This is a masterpiece that vividly portrays Japan's intellectual tragedy of self-imposed isolation from the encounter with Western modern civilization, within the grand historical perspective of the "establishment of a global sphere of vision" through the discovery of new sea routes and continents. Iwanami Bunko